Thread guide



"May 27, 1930.

P. UHLIG El AL 1,760,453

THREAD GUI-DE Filed July 16, 1929 I VENTOR Tamil, 111GB qua. s KYaltcv Inch,

- ATTORNEY- Patented May 27, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PAUL UHLIG, OF PATEBSON, AND WALTER ULRICH, OF LITTLE FALLS, NEW

THREAD GUIDE Application flled ehly 16,

This invention relates to thread guides and especially thread-guides for certain knitting machines and of the class comprising a fixed body having a top table over which the thread runs and a spring pressing upon the table to impose a brake or drag on and hence tension the thread interposed between them, said body having a receiving arida delivery thread guiding passage on opposite sides of the table by which the thread is kept on the latter or between it and the spring.

As usually constructed these devices have the fault that the thread cuts a groove in the (ordinarily metal) body of the device in its travel over the table, wherefore it has been proposed to provide a porcelain eyelet in the body to form a delivery passage, placing this eyelet so as to project a little above the table, and form a hole in the spring which isusually a plate spring) into which the promoting portion of the eyelet is received. This does not avoid the groove-cutting action entirely, because it is still possible in the spring at and near the hole therein; it in fact augments the groove-cutting action and in any event imposes an undue and irregular tension on the thread because of the rebend which is necessarily formed therein at the eyelet.' One object of the invention is to reduce the tendency toward the groove-cutting to the minimum; and this we accomplish by forming the body of porcelain or equivalent vitreous material which cannot be cut by the thread and with a delivery passage leading downward directly from the flat surface of the table. Another fault in the usual thread-guide of this type is that it is difficult to thread since both its guiding passages are eyelets, the receiving one of which has to be threaded by the operator (who stands at the delivery side of the bar by which the thread-guide is supported) reaching over and then entering the thread to the eyelet from beneath, and the delivery one of which can only be threaded by lifting the spring very considerably in order to pass the thread down through that eyelet, both operations being quite tedious an d ti rue-wasting and the second being likelv to distort or displace the spring. A further object is 1929. Serial No. 378,641.

therefore to provide for the facile and quick position on the aforesaid supporting bar in such a way that, while the securing will be.-

eifective, the possibility of fracturing the duced. A still further object is to simplify and cheapen the construction.

In the drawing,

Fig. l is a plan of the improved device and the supporting bar;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of said shows the bar in section;

Fig. 3 is a perspective View showing the manner in which the device is threaded; and

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4, Fig. 2.

. 1 is the body member having downwardly projecting spaced clam portions 2 and 3 by which, as will appear, t e device is secured to the supporting bar 4 of the knitting machine frame. This member has a flat top table 5 over which the thread runs, and at what is the device and porcelain body in that operation will be reback portion thereof it has an upstanding 9, is secured a plate-spring 10 which bears upon the table and preferably extends beyond the. forward end of the member 1.

According to our invention the body memher 1 is formed of a single piece of vitreous material, as porcelain, and it has the passage 8 leading directly downwardly from the flat (or substantially flat) table 5. Further, pas- .sage 7 is a notch opening from the side of head 6 and passage 8 is a notch opening toward the front of member 1. iConsequently the mentioned groove-cutting incident to the travel of the thread is practically completely avoided and the tension on the threadis preserved uniform because of the hardness of through the passage 8. Further, as shown in Fig. 3, the o rator has simply to raise the spring a little with one hand (simply enough to admit the thread) and, reaching over the bar 4 and grasping the thread with the other hand, enter it first by a lateral motion into the passage 7 and then by a downward motion into the passage 8. Indeed these two motions are made practically one and an unerring threading of the device made possible in the preferred construction shown where, immediately below the passage 7 the side of member 1 is made to project further than it does above said passage, thus formin a thread-stop or ledge 7.

%)ne of the clamping portions, as 3, has set in a transverse groove 11 adjoining the other such portion a cushioning spring-metal piece 12, arched in horizontal section, into which is tapped a clamping screw 13 which freely netrates said portion 3. By this the possiility of fracturing the body 1 is avoided which might occur if the screw, is bei turned to clamp the device to the bar 4, did

' not obtain a cushion-support on said body.

When in effecting the clamping the operator feels that the screw is exerting pressure he has notice to cease turning the screw before the danger of fracturing body 1 ensues.

:0 Having thus fully described our invention what we claim is:

1. A thread-guide of (the class described comprising an in body of vitreous ma terial having a substantially flat top threadtable and an upstanding head removed from the table and said body also having receiving and delivery thread-guiding notches the former of which is in the head and opens sidewise thereof and extends therethrough generally toward the table and the latter of which extends directly downwardly from the table and opens relatively forward of the device, in combination with a spring secured to the head and normally p against the table between said head and the delivery PW- 2. A thread-guide of the class described comprising an integral body of vitreous material having a substantially flat top threadtable and an upstanding head removed from the table and said body also having receivmg and delivery th -guiding notches the former of which is in the head and opens sidewise thereof and extends therethrough generally toward the table and the latter of which extends directly downwardly from the table and opens relatively forward of the device, m combination with a spring secured to the head and normally pressing against the table between said head and the delivery passage, sald bod also having a thread-stop perqectmg there m laterally immediately low the receivi passage. 3. A thread-gui e of the class described 85 comprising a body member of fragile material and having a top thread-table and means to guide the t read over the table, a spring secured to said member and bearing on the table, said member having projecting clampportions, and a cushioning screw-including means to exert clamping ressure from one such clamp-portion towar the other whereby to clamp the device to a support interposed between said clam -portions.

4. A thread-gui e of the class described comprising a body member of fragile material and having a top thread-table and means tures.

PAUL UHLIG. WALTER ULRICH, 

